“Go out there and show everyone what you’re made of!” This “battle-cry” can sometimes be heard spouting from the lips of a sports team’s resident coach. The implication of such a statement is that, by making known the contents and attributes that define a person, his or her worth on the playing field is established. Most sports enthusiasts know that how well an athlete plays and performs in a game is predicated heavily on how experienced they are and “what they are made of”, but another aspect of the sport that contributes heavily to the success and thrill of the game is the composition of the equipment. Indeed, due to the uniqueness of every sport’s environment, each’s playstyle makes different demands on players and equipment alike, emphasizing the importance of having adequate gear (made by proper materials) for each scenario. How does the composition of each sport’s players and instruments affect competitive play, and what is the significance of it?

Believe it or not, the origin of the football’s shape as a “prolate spheroid” is due to the first being made of pig’s bladders. Over time, the materials used in construction of footballs have changed, but the shape has remained very similar. One may argue that the shape was kept for aerodynamic and carrying benefits.

The Right Tool for the Job

As mentioned previously, each sport is different in a variety of ways. As a result, an athlete that specializes in one sport must possess and cultivate the right attributes to be successful in that field (and, likewise, the equipment must be molded and built for a specific purpose). Depending on the environment of the sports industry, athletes may be more or less desirable based on a variety of reasons. In Major-League or Professional sport environments, a player is desirable for specializing in one playstyle, and performing exceptionally in that line of work.

For example, Tom Brady, a professional football player for the New England Patriots, fills the role of quarterback on his team; he is thusly expected to fulfill the obligations of the position he specializes in. However, from a lighter, more casual perspective, Brady is an experienced, well-rounded sports player whose flexibility makes him a handy asset in any position across more than one sport (In high school he accumulated experience in baseball and basketball in addition to football, strengthening his athletic background). Because no human can be perfect at every aspect of a sport, attributes like height, weight, physical build, genetic predisposition, and stamina are all weighable parameters that define what an athlete will excel in. Likewise, specializations impact a player’s strengths and weaknesses in a real game, and that is where strategy comes into play!

Equipment Composition – What is important?

Every sport is different. Every sport’s goal is different. Every sport’s rules are different. Every sport’s equipment is different. Every player is different. Understanding the significance of each of them is paramount to personal and professional improvement.

Knowledge of the mechanics behind what equipment is used for a sport (and why it is designed in such a way) is essential to developing as an athletic savant. This type of understanding encompasses such topics as why different woods are used in the construction of baseball bats, or what significance an American football’s unique shape has on gameplay. Like a great scientist, an athlete, either casual or professional, who understands the “why” behind the sport he or she plays has a marked advantage during play.